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This hasn’t been the best evening of your military career. First, you and your formation get grounded because of maintenance issues, then you learn that Major Castro is going to be shipping back to Earth for court-martial in a couple weeks, and now the whole base is under massed attack. You look down at the freshly-dead Imperial soldier, feeling your stomach threaten to turn. You’ve pulled triggers and dropped bombs before, probably killed hundreds since the War started. But you’ve never seen someone killed up close like this.

“I need a weapon,” you say to the marine.

“Right,” he nods. “Take that guy’s shotgun if you want. He’s certainly not using it.”

You pick the shotgun up, checking the chamber to ensure it is loaded. It’s an old-school pump shotgun with a heat shield and bayonet, either an antique or replica of one. Certainly not standard issue. “Okay. Lead the way.”

You and the marine make your way through the trenches leading to the command center, narrowly avoiding death several times. Eventually, you both arrive at an area where the trenchworks have been completely destroyed, leaving only craters in their absence. It’s a damn killing field out there in the open, with Imperial and Federal bodies lying all over the place. Littered about are wrecked vehicles and equipment. You’re sure they would make good cover if you decided to cross, but would you be able to make it?

You look to the marine, both of you grimacing. He is the first to speak up as you both duck behind cover. “That was a hardened trench half an hour ago.” He pauses to fire from cover at something just out of your view. “We can go around, but it’ll take a lot longer than if we try to book it across the craters…” He frowns sternly. “It’s your call, sir. I’ve got your back regardless.”

>”Let’s move.” (charge across the craters, roll 1d100)
>”I don’t want to risk it. Let’s find another way around.”

Rolled 19 (1d100)

>>1701237
”Let’s move.” (charge across the craters, roll 1d100)

>>1701237
>”I don’t want to risk it. Let’s find another way around.”
We have nowhere to hurry to.

>>1701237
>>”I don’t want to risk it. Let’s find another way around.”

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You shake your head. “Let’s find another way to the fallback point. I don’t want to risk it.”

“Roger,” the marine nods. The two of you double back through the trenches, moving through a little-used supply trench on the far side of the firebase. Thankfully, things are a bit less hectic around here. The two of you end up in a makeshift infirmary along the way, where you see the very real toll of this attack. Soldiers, army and marine, lay injured in cots while the various medical personnel present tend to them. You are both ushered through quickly by an overworked doctor.

After you exit the infirmary, the two of you cut through an auxiliary ammo dump. Munitions of all sizes are strewn about, any protocol for storing them long forgotten. The artillerymen scramble frantically, moving various shells and rockets to their respective batteries in an attempt to hold off the attackers. You hear mention of a counter-barrage, meaning that these guys must’ve discovered the location of the Imps’ artillery.

“Shouldn’t be too much longer,” the marine says as the two of you cut through a half-collapsed section of trench. “You know, I’ve only been here for a little over a week…” He frowns, glancing back at you. “Has Oliver North always been this way?”

“Under attack? Of course not.” You chuckle a little bit to yourself. “But if you’re talking about the lax discipline and regs, yeah. The Army’s a little more relaxed about that sort of thing.”

“I can tell,” the marine replies simply. “Fallback point’s this way.” He leads you through a covered trench. The lights flicker every now and then, usually in sync with the concussion of enemy artillery. Troops move past you, many of them looking as though they’ve just been relieved from fighting.

“It came as a bit of a shock to me too,” you continue. “My first deployment before this was a shakedown aboard an old-school defense cruiser.”

“No shit. How long have you been here?” He raises an eyebrow at you.

“A little over six months,” you reply. “Pretty much from the moment boots were on the ground here.” You pause, feeling around in your pocket for a cigar. Dammit, looks like you forgot to bring them. “I arrived two weeks after we set up a beachhead.”

“So you’ve been here for a spell,” the marine muses. “Anyway, we’re here.” The two of you pass under a tarp and enter into a large, open area with a command trailer at the center and trenches moving out in every direction. “I’m gonna go over to the nearest dugout and sit for a minute. Major said he wanted all the pilots to head inside and meet him personally.”

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“Duly noted,” you nod at him. “Take care, man.”

“You do the same, sir.” He immediately turns around and heads for a dugout, and you make your way to the trailer.

Opening the door, you see Castro wearing his full uniform, plus sunglasses of course. Also in the trailer are the three other pilots present at the firebase. No, wait, there are only two. It seems Lt. Childers is missing.

Castro looks over at you, lighting a cigar. “Starwind. Glad you made it. Getting pretty dicey out there.” He points to a chair next to the ones the other pilots are sitting in. “Have a seat.”

>”Could I bum a cigar, sir?”
>Sit down.
>”Are we deploying? I don’t see the Navy Liaison anywhere.”
>”Where’s Childers?”
>”Things are more than dicey out there, sir. Imps are inside the wire. We need to repel them.”
>Write-in.

>>1701425
>>Sit down.
>”Where’s Childers?”

>>1701425
>”Things are more than dicey out there, sir. Imps are inside the wire. We need to repel them.”

>>1701425
>"Could I bum a cigar, sir?"
> Sit down
>"Where's Childers?"
It's just another day in the madhouse.

>>1701425
>”Could I bum a cigar, sir?”
>"Childers?” I think we think he likely bit it, this phrasing is more asking for confirmation than being hopeful to me.
>Sit down.
>"So do I still have to pay the damage deposit on my bunk?"

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You sit down, laying the shotgun on the floor next to you. Everyone looks tired. Even Castro doesn’t have his usual manic attitude about him.

“Where’s Childers?” You raise an eyebrow.

“I was about to ask you,” Castro says. “You didn’t find him along the way here?”

“No sir,” you reply simply. “Didn’t see him anywhere.”

Castro sighs, running a hand through his unkempt hair. “Fuck.” The man leans back on his desk, rubbing his eyes tiredly. “Well, no use speculating about his whereabouts now. You’ve all got a mission.”

“A mission? We’re deploying?” Commander Braggs, your squadron leader, looks up with a grimace. “Our craft were grounded for repairs. We can’t go out in them.” He rubs his graying mustache thoughtfully.

Castro nods, pulling a file folder from the desk. “That’s because you’re not using your regular craft for this op.” He holds up the folder, showing the Naval Special Operations insignia. “A runner delivered these to me personally about thirty minutes ago. Apparently they have your new craft parked on the runway.”

“I sure as shit don’t like where this is going,” the other pilot from your squadron, Guerra, speaks up. “That’s NSO paperwork. What do the spooks want from us?”

“I was just getting to that, NSO wants you to conduct an attack run on a target of a… Political nature…” Castro frowns, removing his sunglasses and donning a pair of readers. “I’ll explain further once you get suited up and head to your new birds.”

----

You awaken with a groan, hearing the intercom buzz to life next to your head. “Captain,” Tom’s voice crackles through the speaker. “We’re arriving at Ceres now.”

You groan again, louder this time. “Right, give me a minute.” In the end, it takes you more than a minute to get dressed and make your way to the bridge.

Ceres is a gray lump floating just outside of the asteroid belt, with structures jutting out of it every which way. It is the military center of the CFP, which maintains the demilitarized zone between the Empire’s and Federation’s home sectors. Everything from shipyards, to barracks, to administration facilities and even a recreation pavilion for the garrison.

And because it is a military structure, you have to follow military protocol to dock there. After almost an hour of clearance procedures and background checks, you are allowed to land in a cargo loading dock.

After landing, you find yourself down in the cargo bay, overseeing the transference of the cargo from your hold to the station, when one of the CFP soldiers walks up to you. He’s young, and looks quite bored, standing there with a clipboard and pen.

“Good afternoon, Captain Starwind.” Is it really afternoon? How can he tell? “The base commander would like to have a word with you, if you don’t mind.”

>”Am I allowed to refuse?”
>”Lead the way.”
>”I’m bringing along my first officer then.”
>Write-in.

Sorry for taking so long. I had to fix a damn outboard boat motor because I'm the only mechanically-apt person within my circle of friends.

>>1701865
>Write-in.
"Let me just give my crew some instructions and I'll be right with you."

Leave Tom on board to guard the place, just in case. Don't want anyone stumbling on our hidden mob pricness. Virgo can plead some diplomatic stalling tactic if it comes down to it.

>>1701865
>”I’m bringing along my first officer then.”

>>1701865
>>1701939
this

>>1701865
Seconding this >>1701939

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“Let me give my crew some instructions first.” You reply simply to the man’s request, and he accepts. You quickly walk over to Tom, speaking quietly so that only he can hear you. “I need you to guard the ship. Don’t let anyone aboard if you can help it.”

He nods. “Of course, sir.” With that, you join the soldier, following him to an express elevator. It isn’t long before you arrive in the administrative wing of the Ceres Station.

The soldier leads you through the administrative wing, going up several flights of stairs. More than a few of the personnel stare at you as you pass them. A few obviously recognize you, which makes sense seeing as most of the CFP’s people used to be Federal Navy and Marines.

Eventually, the two of you make it to a nicer area, clearly designed for the comfort of the upper-echelons of command. The soldier directs you to a large set of double doors.

You walk up to the doors and they swing inward automatically, revealing a well-appointed office with a panoramic window showing an overview of the entire base. Apparently this office is at the top of the station. A man in dress whites stands in front of the window, looking out.

“Allen Starwind,” he says. “Former lieutenant in the Federal Navy, one of their most decorated pilots…” He turns to face you, smirking. “And one of the biggest troublemakers I ever had the displeasure of commanding.” The man standing in front of you is Justin Knight, the first captain you served under after the Abraxis Incident.

“Captain Knight?” You raise an eyebrow, not quite believing what you’re seeing.

“Admiral these days,” he corrects you with a smile. “How have the last few years treated you?”

>”I’ve been doing alright. Got myself a ship and crew.”
>”How’d you end up working for the CFP? And as an admiral, no less?”
>”I take it this isn’t just a social call?”
>Remain silent.
>Write-in.

>>1702070

>”I’ve been doing alright. Got myself a ship and crew.”
>”How’d you end up working for the CFP? And as an admiral, no less?”

>>1702070
>”I’ve been doing alright. Got myself a ship and crew.”
>”How’d you end up working for the CFP? And as an admiral, no less?”

>>1702070
>”I’ve been doing alright. Got myself a ship and crew.”
>”How’d you end up working for the CFP? And as an admiral, no less?”
Uh, I don't really remember where the CFP fit in in the last war, were they just neutral?

>>1701865
>”I’m bringing along my first officer then.”
make a joke about when ever a high up wants to meet with you
Shit gets carzy

>>1702126
They didn't exist until the closing days of the War. Basically Mars (a financial and societal powerhouse within the Federation) seceded at a time when both sides were super weak and forced them to enter peace talks. The only reason the Federation didn't invade Mars when they seceded was the growing anti-war sentiment (which was teetering on open revolt in some places) among the Frontier worlds. A central world like Mars seceding was basically the straw that broke the camel's back for the Federation. The Empire, however, had been wanting to begin peace talks for almost a month before that point, their military leaders just weren't willing to be the first to suggest peace.

The CFP continued to be independent after the War's end, and they've begun to develop their own distinct society already. While some of their people think they'd be better off rejoining the Federation, the more relaxed laws allow a kind of freedom you can't get on most highly-developed planets. It's also become a haven for criminals and profiteers, but the CFP doesn't like to advertise that part of their society. Because of things like that, most CFP citizens realize that reunification is probably something that will never happen.

Anyway, I'm thinking I'll call it a night here. We'll run at around the same time tomorrow, though later into the evening if possible.

>>1702070
>”I’ve been doing alright. Got myself a ship and crew.”
>"Admiral? All that paperwork, you poor son of a bitch."

I’ve been doing alright,” you reply with a nod. “Got myself a ship and crew.”

“I can see that,” Knight says with a genuine smile. “First-gen Oberon. Been a while since I saw one that didn’t have some serious mods done to it.”

“Well I don’t exactly intend to keep her stock,” you reply with a chuckle. “Already did some internal modifications, of course.” You cross your arms. “So how’d you end up with the CFP? And as an admiral, no less?”

“Well I’d tell you it was a long story, but that’d be a lie.” He grimaces a little. “After the War, the Navy started downsizing. I can’t fault them, money was tight. They started getting rid of officers about eight months after the War ended.” He sighs, fishing a bottle of expensive-looking liquor and a couple glasses from his desk. “They promoted me to commodore, then fired me a week later…”

“Seems a little odd,” you begin. “I thought they would’ve been downsizing among the enlisted instead.”

“Oh, they were,” he replies. “The officers they were getting rid of were mostly guys that had rocked the boat near the end of the War, myself included.” He smirks a little. “Anyway, I ended up catching the eye of the CFP’s newly-founded military arm, and they recruited me.”

“So what do you do exactly?” You raise an eyebrow. “Manage Ceres?”

“Along with the entire CFP Space Forces,” he nods. “Anyway, have a seat, help me wipe out this cognac.” You sit down, not hesitating to share a glass with an old comrade, when you both hear a commotion on the other side of the double doors.

“I don’t care if he’s busy!” A female voice shouts at someone outside. “You let me in or I’ll kick the damn doors down myself!”

There is a quiet response from the other person, and the doors open, revealing a fierce-looking woman in dress whites. She strides into the room, scowling at Admiral Knight, who merely raises an eyebrow.

“What is it this time, Colonel Pavlov?” Justin rubs his temples, sighing.

“It’s not a matter for civilians to hear!” She crosses her arms and glares at you. “Vacate the premises immediately.” You glance at Admiral Knight, who rolls his eyes.

“I’m not telling Allen Starwind to get lost,” he replies flatly. "Your query can wait, Colonel."

The woman, Colonel Pavlov, raises an eyebrow at you. It feels as though you could cut the air with a knife.

>”Nice to meet you, Colonel.”
>”I’ll just be going then.”
>”You heard the Admiral.” (smug)
>Write-in.

>>1705843
>”Nice to meet you, Colonel.”

>>1705843
>>”Nice to meet you, Colonel.”

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You extend a hand. “Nice to meet you, Colonel.”

Colonel Pavlov’s expression doesn’t change as she scrutinizes you. In a way, her demeanor reminds you of a cop attempting to determine whether they believe someone is guilty. Her eyes scan you, narrowing.

“Allen Starwind…” And to your surprise, she extends her own hand and shakes yours. “Likewise, I suppose.” You notice a smirk start at the corner of her mouth, only to disappear as sun as you realize it was there. “You’re shorter than I’d expected.”

“So what did you want, Pavlov?” The Admiral frowns, pouring the liquor into the glasses and sliding one over to you.

“The accommodations for my men stationed here are unacceptable,” she says bitterly. “And your people have been incredibly rude to us.”

“Probably because they don’t like ground troops being quartered where they used to sleep.” His eyes narrow. “Those used to be my mens’ quarters, you know. They’re sleeping in the old miners’ barracks until we can complete the quarters for your personnel.” He takes a sip of the alcohol, seemingly mulling over his next statement. “Hell, one of the only things I got to keep during this whole ordeal was my office, and it wouldn’t surprise me if you tried to appropriate it as well seeing how you strut around like you own the place.”

She slams a fist down on his desk. “This arrangement was not to my liking either, Admiral! Do you think any of us wanted to relocate to a station in the dammed asteroid belt?” She sighs, composing herself. You noticed a hint of an Imperial accent when she started to get mad there. Either her parents were Imperials, or she was born in the Empire and had a dialect coach teach her a Federal standard accent.

“I’m not a fan of your attitude, Colonel.” The Admiral speaks with little emotion, but you can tell he’s pissed. “We were forced to welcome you aboard our station, which didn’t have much space to spare from the beginning, and I’ve been more than welcoming to you.” He crosses his arms, leaning back in his chair. “I’m trying to be a gracious host, and all you do is complain about our digs not being up to your standards.” He takes another drink of the liquor. “Don’t make me pull rank. I can still order you out of my office if I want.”

She clenches her teeth. “Understood, Admiral.” With that, she turns on her heels and storms out of the office. After the doors close, you hear more shouting in the hall, growing distant.

The Admiral sighs tiredly.

>”I can see why you wanted a drink.”
>”Who was she?”
>”What a bitch…”
>Write-in.

>>1706127
>”I can see why you wanted a drink.”
>”Who was she?”
>You poor bastard, this is why you got Admiral so easily, it's as hit job.

>>1706127
>”I can see why you wanted a drink.”
>”Who was she?”

>>1706127
>"Ah reminds me of our time in the service, being packed in like sardines, outright nostalgic that."
>”I can see why you wanted a drink.”
>”Who was she?”

“I can see why you wanted a drink,” you remark, sipping your cognac. “Who is she?”

“Colonel Irene Pavlov,” he grumbles. “She’s the kid of two Imperial generals, so she’s got a chip on her shoulder the size of Jupiter. Not only that, but since she grew up in the lap of luxury, she’s disgusted by anything but absolute perfection…” He finishes his glass, immediately refilling it. “She’s the commander of the CFP’s ground component, and until recently, she and her people were stationed on Mars…”

“Why’d that change?” You frown. “Usually the navy and army like to stay separated.”

“That’s true. It had to do with something in the bureaucracy. The end result of it is that the entire CFP armed forces are being moved out here to Ceres…” He sighs. “That wouldn’t be a problem if we had the room. This place used to be a mining station, and it wasn’t until massive renovations that a garrison of naval personnel could be quartered here.”

“Gotta love the bureaucracy,” you sigh. “Still, you’d think Pavlov would be a little more understanding.”

The Admiral shrugs. “She’s probably just angry about being transferred off-world on such short notice. I can’t really blame her for blaming me. I am the third-highest ranking person in the CFP’s military, so she might think it’s partially my fault.”

“Sounds like a bad situation all around,” you nod. “A little nostalgic though. Seems like that sort of thing happened all the time back in the old days.”

“The old days,” Knight repeats your phrase. “Shit. We sound like old men when we talk about the War.”

“I guess you’re right,” you take another drink. “Though, maybe that’s just what going to war does to a man.”

Knight nods slowly. “You always were a philosophical one, Starwind…” He yawns, running a hand through his hair. “You know, they say there’s another war looming on the horizon…” He raises an eyebrow. “You probably get around more than me. What are your thoughts on that sort of thing?”

>”At this point? It almost seems inevitable…”
>”After the destruction the last one caused, I don’t think another war would last very long before public outcry shut it down.”
>”I’ve got faith in people. I think the Empire and Federation learned their lesson.”
>Write-in.

>>1706412
>Some people are rattling for it. I hope they get a swift smack for it, but who knows?

>>1706412
>The warhawks are our there, and the upper brass of the federation falls into that right now. Can't comment on the imperial situation too much, except that opinion within is hardly unanimous, although the empress seems interested in stability at least. Lot of third parties looking for something to go hot again. That said the war is still fresh. The tinderbox is damp for now, but if it'll stay that way seems a little depressing to think about.

>>1706412

>well... I think there are those who want a war, but not a no-holds-barred one like last time. A good, healthy cold war for security's sake and the military branch of the economy. Problem is, those can turn hot...(provide details of who and why).

>>1706412
>>”At this point? It almost seems inevitable…”

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You sigh, rubbing the back of your neck. “Well… There are certainly a lot of people who don’t want another war… But there are plenty of people rattling swords for one reason or another as well.” You think back to the many times you’ve seen Leander riling the public up. “And there are definitely a lot of people who are trying to make fortunes from the current cold war. Things don’t seem to be at a tipping point yet, and it seems like people on both sides are trying to avoid war, but I could see it going either way with things the way they are right now…”

“That makes sense,” the Admiral nods. “From what I’ve heard, the Empress is pretty vehemently anti-war, but a lot of her advisors aren’t… And you could say the opposite for the Federation.”

“Yeah,” you nod. “And that’s not even factoring in all of the profiteers and other shady types who would benefit from renewed hostilities.” You remember the massive fortunes that weapons companies made during the War.

“Huh,” Knight sighs. “And we’d be right in the middle of it all.” He gestures to the panoramic window. “Ceres will be ground zero for any fighting if another war breaks out. I’m sure of it…” He groans a little, rubbing his temples. “And even though we’re technically supposed to maintain the DMZ, if a war broke out, the only way to survive it would be to pick a side…”

You sigh, leaning forward. The idea of the War resuming frightens you. Could humanity actually survive another one?

Knight faces you again. “But still, no use in thinking about it now, right?” He downs the rest of his drink. “There’s already enough doom and gloom around. Especially since that nastiness on New Albany. From what I’ve heard, a couple other planets nearby attempted coups as well…” He caps the bottle of cognac. “Both Federal and Imperial. It seems that the Frontiers are gradually becoming more independent…” He chuckles to himself. “Anyway, I’ve taken up enough of your time. You’ve probably got places to be.” The two of you exchange some more stories while he walks you down to the loading docks.

It doesn’t take long for the space-traffic controllers to clear your ship for takeoff, and you soon find yourselves on your way to Mars. With the money you’ve made recently, you figure you’ll be able to afford some serious modifications to the Bad Habit once you land. Probably some better engines, getting that turret mounted, maybe even a lengthening of the hull and some added space for more crew and cargo. You sit on the bridge, watching attentively as Mars comes into view. Hopefully it won’t take Ally too long to refit your ship. You hate spending more time planetside than you have to.

I'm gonna call it here for tonight. We'll try to run again Friday evening, though it'll probably be a short session. Unfortunately with work the way it is, my only days off are Mondays and Tuesdays (and technically Fridays, but I use those to catch up on sleep most of the time). Either way, I'll try to run for as long as I can Friday.

>>1706671
Thanks for running

>>1706671
thanks

>>1706671
Thanks for running! I'm looking forward to getting back to space trucking and not doing infiltration jobs for the mob.

>>1706671
Huzzah!

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After landing on Mars, you immediately got Sally back to Lowe, who seemed much more level-headed upon your return. Though a part of you expected him to threaten you again, he merely thanked you and handed you a large wad of cash as payment. Of course, your next stop after the dockyards was Allie’s shop, where she immediately got the Bad Habit up in the jig and put her people to work inspecting it.

Allie crosses her arms, chewing on a pencil before speaking. “Well, it looks like your ship is a little worse for wear than when I last saw it.” She picks up a clipboard, gesturing to where the Bad Habit currently rests in the support jig. “Looks like your engines themselves are nearing the end of their operational lifespan. Your central computer’s software could use a complete update, but I’m not sure if the hardware could handle modern programming…” She frowns a little. “And your life-support core is almost worn out.” She grimaces, turning to you. “It’s a good thing you brought the Bad Habit to me when you did. There’s a lot of things wrong with her that couldn’t be fixed by a single engineer.”

“Right…” You swallow nervously, having not realized the severity of your ship’s age. “So I’d imagine those repairs need to happen before you can do the full refit, right?”

Allie shakes her head. “Not necessarily. We can probably replace old systems as we do the refit. I’m just letting you know that it’ll take longer than if you didn’t need those repairs done.”

“Fair enough. How long are we looking at for this?” You rub the back of your neck, sighing.

Allie begins walking toward the ship jig, gesturing for you to follow. “It’s going to take anywhere between one and three weeks,” she says reluctantly. “I’d put my money on exactly two, but we could always run into more unexpected issues.”

“Three weeks…” You fight the urge to groan. That’s three weeks that you’ll have to find work planetside to pay the bills. Thankfully you were able to find cheap lodging for all of your crew beforehand, so you’re covered there.

“Like I said, that’s the ‘if things go pear-shaped’ estimate.” Allie gets your attention. “Now, if you don’t mind, let’s go over the upgrades we’ll be doing…” She points to her clipboard. “The first thing we’ll be doing is lengthening your ship’s hull by almost 40 feet. This will allow for more cargo and crew space. I figure we can add at least two crew staterooms, and you’d have space for an additional two passengers. Plus a dedicated stateroom for your chief engineer down near the engineering room itself”

“Okay,” you nod. “Like the engineering setup on larger vessels.”

Allie grins. “Precisely. Anyway, the next step will be replacing your particle-induction thrusters with more powerful, modern critical impulse thrusters. That’ll give you some much-needed acceleration. I’d also like to replace your FTL core with a better one. Then I’d like to mount that turret you’ve got sitting in your storage room, that way it’s actually being used.”

“Okay,” you reply. “Anything else?”

Allie sits the clipboard on a table just in front of the main work area. “That’s it for the essentials. Now we move on to the more custom options.” She leans against the table. “I can upgrade the setup on your bridge to allow for greater comfort and visibility, as well as safety of course. Then there’s your missile tubes… They’re an okay design, but they’re old. I’d recommend a more modern design that can handle more types of ordinance.” She then gestures to the middle of the ship. “Now I know the room that used to be the CIC is still empty, and I’ve got a few ideas about what to do with them.”

“Let’s hear it,” you reply.

“Firstly, we could remodel it into a kind of rec-room. It’d basically be an expansion of the wardroom dedicated to crew relaxation. Another idea I had was modifying it to act as a kind of smugglers’ hold, you’d be able to hide things there that you might not want authorities to find. And of course, we could always turn it into additional crew staterooms, depending on whether you plan on hiring more people.”

“Anything else?” You raise an eyebrow.

“Well,” she begins. “We could install a docking hoist on the underside of the ship for a parasite fighter. You’d lose some cargo space as a result, but you’d have a better time fighting off any would-be hostiles or investigating things up-close.” She pauses for a moment, chewing on her pencil again. “Oh, and we could directly integrate that stealth module into your ship’s systems.”

“Let me guess,” your eye twitches a little bit. “Cynthia told you about the stealth module.”

“Yep,” she nods. “Seems like an impressive piece of tech.”

“Right,” you say.

>SHIP UPGRADES (you can only afford three):

>Bridge Upgrade
>New Missile Tubes
>Stealth Module Integration
>Empty Room Upfit (specify)
>Fighter Docking System

Since this is a permanent decision that affects your ship's functions, I'll leave this vote open for the next hour and a half.

>>1716129
Great to see you back Zap, and I caught a live thread too.

Just out of curiosity, how much did the bad habit cost us, and how much would it cost to buy a new ship in a similar class/commission a new Oberon frigate?

>>1716174
The Bad Habit cost Allen pretty much his entire military pension (which was awarded to him as a lump sum because of all the times the military's accounting people fucked up). Basically it would've cost around 80,000 Standards. Most ships that cost that much require a LOT of work to get them running safely though. Allen got very lucky with the Bad Habit. And as far as commissioning a new Oberon, there are some shipyards on the Frontiers that own the necessary tooling to build one, but it would be prohibitively expensive compared to getting a used one. As far as new frigates of other classes, the prices vary greatly, with cheap ones starting at around 180,000 Standards generally. Most of the time, only large corporations buy ships new.
You'll get a chance to get a newer ship further down the line though.

>>1716123
>Bridge Upgrade
>Stealth Module Integration
These 2 for sure.

I want to ask about the smugglers hold, would it show up on dedicated scanners? Would a big solid block show up raising suspicion of "wasted space"?

>>1716230
It would be invisible to all but the most invasive scans. Basically nobody would see it unless they knew exactly where to look and what to look for. You'd already have to be doing something suspicious for anyone to check, and even then it'd come down to a dice roll instead of them just scanning the ship and discovering whatever sketchy stuff you've got.

>>1716123
I am an idiot
>Bridge Upgrade
>Stealth Module Integration
>Empty Room Upfit to a smuggler's hold

>>1716294
>can we double bunk people in the same room
Why tho?

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>>1716264
What about crew quarters, can we double bunk people in the same room since everyone seems to more or less have their own rooms. Is it possible to have 4 crew to a room?

>>1716297
To have a bigger crew? I want to recruit that Revy girl at the bar, and maybe that guy we found in the ghost ship with Samantha may come back. I also want to have a smugglers hold without having to go for extra crew quarters....

>>1716294
In theory you could have four to a room if you did strict bunk-rotations similar to what they do on military vessels, but the staterooms themselves currently only have two bunks a piece, and currently the other bunks in your crews' staterooms are being used for their personal storage, so they'd have to find other places to put their stuff. It'd definitely cause some discomfort among your crew.

>>1716304
Oh, and just as a heads-up, the refit is going to add two crew (technically three) staterooms regardless, the empty room upfit just gives you the option to add two more if you choose that upgrade path.

>>1716320
>two crew (technically three)
Good enough I guess.

Is the CIC and breakroom in any way connected so we can expand so they are part of a bigger space?

>>1716337
They're right next to each other. You only have to walk through a doorway to get from one to the other.

>>1716123
>>Bridge Upgrade
>Stealth Module Integration
>Smugglers hold or combined breakroom/relaxation room.

I think we are still going to wait for a few more anons to show up before committing right?

Lets give it 20 more minutes give or take and if no one shows then I'll go with smugglers hold.

>>1716353
Ideally. I've got to leave at around 5:45 though, so I might not get to post a whole lot after we make this decision. I'll be back around 7:00 though, then we can run until around 11:00.

>>1716359
Its 8 minutes to 2pm for me.

Sigh* lets go with smugglers hold.

Its not going to show up on any reports or notes Allie made on our retrofit right?

>>1716383
Oh, my bad. I should've mentioned my times are in EST. And no, Allie's refit details are strictly confidential. The only things going into record are the hull lengthening and turret installation, as well as necessary repairs.

Anyway, writing.

“Let’s go with the bridge upgrade, integrating the stealth drive, and refitting the empty room.” You cross your arms, nodding.

“Okay,” she begins writing on the clipboard. “And what do you want the room upgraded to?”

“I want a smuggler hold,” you grin. “Could come in handy.”

“Right,” she replies. “Me and my crew will get to work right away.” With that, you head back to the spacer dorms where your crew are currently staying. You head to your room, which you are currently sharing with Tom to save money, and let him know the schedule. He’s not too happy to be grounded for multiple weeks either, but when you mention the repairs that Allie is doing, he understands completely. He ends up going out on the town for something after a couple minutes.

You watch some TV for a few minutes, getting a decent idea of what’s going on around Olympus Mons. It seems the CFP’s recent reforms have shaken things up quite a bit around here, seeing as this was their ground component’s main posting. A lot of people think that the move will negatively affect the local economy, and they’re probably right. Upwards of two-thousand personnel have been moved to Ceres in the last month. That's a lot of people no longer spending money.

You sigh, getting up from the cheap couch and turning the TV off. This is going to be a problem, you don’t like being cooped up in this place. You’ll need to occupy yourself over the next couple weeks.

>Explore Olympus Mons.
>Call someone on the communicator.
>Hang out with a member of your crew. (specify)
>Find the nearest bar.
>Write-in.

>>1716417
>Organize a trip to a beach/pool for the whole crew.

>>1716417
>Explore Olympus Mons.
Can we do both? check out neat places to go and the plan the outing and end with a bbq at the beach.

>>1716417
Supporting >>1716502

> Most ships that cost that much require a lot of work, Allen got lucky with the bad habit
> engines need replacing, life support needs replacing
Hasn't it only been a couple of months since we bought it? Still seems like some major work.

Also we should skip the software update. It'll probably start uploading telemetry data at every port.

Well, after longer than expected, I'm back. I'll resume writing shortly.

>>1716575
To be fair, most ships in the same price range don't even HAVE engines and life support. Or reactors for that matter.

>>1716913
I smell a untapped industry to exploit ....

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You decide to head out and explore your surroundings. On your way, you run into Tom (who had apparently just gone down to the corner store for a beer), and tell him that you’re thinking about maybe having a little beach day and cookout for the crew. He seems to like the idea, and says he’ll start looking for places that could work.

You head down the street, into a large pedestrian tunnel, and soon find yourself in the covered markets beneath the main city. It is an area you’ve read about but never seen until now. The typical dregs of society live down here. Whether they be the poverty-stricken lower class that the CFP doesn’t like to talk about, or the petty criminals that prey upon them. You frown as you pass a clearly-illegal shop selling what looks like narcotics disguised as medicines.

Still, it is a short journey before you emerge on the other side of the wide tunnel. The area you find yourself in is much less sketchy. You think to yourself that it must be near the spaceport. The folks here are clearly mostly spacers, along with the occasional citizens and more well-to-do types.

“Nice jacket,” a voice comments from a dimly-lit corner. You briefly look down, realizing that you donned your Federal Navy windbreaker without thinking when you left.

“Thanks,” you reply simply. As you move on, the man starts to follow you. This doesn’t last long when you glance back at him sternly. As you get a good look at him, it’s obvious he was looking to shake you down for cash. You really need to find another part of town to wander.

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Eventually, you find yourself in a more healthy-looking part of town. Here it seems many of the locals are from all over. You see people clearly from the Federation, as well as Imperials, and even aliens in traditional garb. You stop by a couple shops, taking a look at what they have for sale. Nothing much really catches your eye, not to mention you aren’t overflowing with cash after the ship’s refit. Eventually you decide to head back toward the spacer dorms. As the sun begins to dip over the horizon, you decide to take the above-ground route back.

You decide to cut through a small public park on your way there, and you stop for a minute to take a closer look at a statue in the center of the park green.

It is a memorial to soldiers on both sides of the War. Upon reading the plaque, you learn that this entire park was set up as a sort of memorial. The statue itself is a simple gray pillar with olive branches draped around it in a helix. At the top is a sword, plunged into the end of the pillar King Arthur style, with the olive branches intertwining around it. Atop the pommel of the sword is a dove, head hung low and shoulders slumped. It isn’t the typical image of peace, the whole monument gives you a feeling of both exhaustion and relief… Maybe that’s the point they were trying to make with it. Engraved at the bottom of the pillar is a simple quotation from Steinbeck:

It's so much darker when a light goes out than it would have been if it had never shone.

You sigh, crossing your arms. You remember that Steinbeck and those like him had been considered a ‘lost generation’ in their time. Perhaps the person who selected the quote thought it poetic to use a quote from one lost generation to refer to another…

“Allen,” you hear a voice behind you. Of course, when you turn around, you see Claudia standing there, hands on her hips. She walks up beside you, looking up at the statue. “I’ve never liked this thing… It seems like they were trying too hard to be profound. Comes across as a bit disingenuous to me.” She raises an eyebrow at you.

>”I don’t know. It’s nice to know all those lives haven’t been forgotten.”
>”I agree. Seems fake.”
>”Lowe ask you to keep tabs on me?”
>Write-in.

>>1717084
>”I agree. But it’s nice to know all those lives haven’t been forgotten.”
>”Lowe ask you to keep tabs on me?”

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>Over four hours
>1 vote
Well, I'll keep the vote open until tomorrow, but this will probably be the last voting prompt of the thread. We'll have a new thread on Sunday evening.

>>1717084
>”I don’t know. It’s nice to know all those lives haven’t been forgotten.”
> Really anything they could have said that wouldn't have been a little bit false, would be far too cynical which is somewhat worse.

>>1717084
>”I don’t know. It’s nice to know all those lives haven’t been forgotten.”
>”Lowe ask you to keep tabs on me?”

>>1717084
>”I don’t know. It’s nice to know all those lives haven’t been forgotten.”
Even if I don't agree with the quote. What happened to "it's better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all"?

>>1718090
Sorry! I don't follow 4chan quests much anymore and forgot to check back.

>>1717084
>”I don’t know. It’s nice to know all those lives haven’t been forgotten.”
>”Lowe ask you to keep tabs on me?”

Just a little heads-up:
The new thread will be going up sometime after 6:00 PM EST today. Ideally I'll try to run late into the night.

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So it looks like my week's schedule has changed again. Won't be able to do a new thread today, and the closest day I can is next Monday. We'll run then, assuming work doesn't mess with my days off again. I'm terribly sorry.